The present invention relates generally to power-assisted articles of furniture and, more particularly, to a multi-function chair having a linear actuation drive mechanism selectively operable for lifting and tilting the chair, extending and retracting a leg rest assembly and reclining the chair between upright and fully reclined positions.
Conventionally, power-assisted chairs typically include a motor-operated lift mechanism for aiding invalids and those persons requiring assistance in entering or exiting the chair. More particularly, motor-operated lift mechanisms are interconnected between a stationary base assembly and a moveable chair frame. Alternatively, some power-assisted chairs include separate linkage mechanisms for permitting the seat occupant to selectively extend and retract a leg rest assembly and/or produce reclining angular movement between an "upright" position and a "reclined" position.
Heretobefore, most conventional power-assisted chairs have not been adapted to provide the lift and tilt function in combination with a leg rest and/or reclining function. Those chairs which do provide such a combination of multi-positional functions generally require the use of multiple motors for driving (i.e., pushing) the separate linkages which results in extremely large and expensive chair units. In addition, most power-assisted chairs incorporate a drive mechanism which employs both a power "drive" function (i.e., for extending the leg rest, lifting the chair, and reclining the chair) and a power "return" function for returning the chair to the normal seated position.